Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Tyreece Hulme One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

tabbal-michel Cool engaged B movie with two cool actors in the gloomy New York of the 80's. And with a funny appearance of Paul Bartel in the role of a judge of night and a extract of the movie, The Soldier and a scene where we see a poster of the movie, The Exterminator, both directed by M. Glickenhaus himself !

Scott LeBrun From James Glickenhaus, director of "The Exterminator", comes this buddy flick that proves that you don't have to reinvent the wheel in order to make a solid action flick. Its characters are always watchable and its action scenes are expertly done. Glickenhaus's script is on the routine side but his execution helps to make up for that.Peter Weller plays Roland Dalton, a public defender who takes the case of a drug dealer (Richard Brooks) who shot an undercover cop - but who apparently did it in self defense. Teaming up with a maverick detective played by Sam Elliott, he finds that the case leads to revelations about corruption in the NYC police department.It's nice to see Weller looking like he's really having fun, and Elliott is likewise quite engaging. Weller strikes some sparks with Patricia Charbonneau, who plays a district attorney who just so happens to be an old girlfriend of Daltons'. It doesn't take long for him to submit to her charms even though he's already engaged to be married (to Gail Feinberger, played by Blanche Baker). Antonio Fargas is smooth as ever as big shot criminal Nicky Carr; Brooks and Larry Joshua are good in their supporting roles. While watching, the viewer can have a busy time playing spot the familiar face: Thomas G. Waites, Shirley Stoler, John C. McGinley, Jude Ciccolella, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Kelly Rutherford, Paul Bartel, James Eckhouse, David Proval, Harold Perrineau, William Prince and Holt McCallany all turn up.Ultimately, this does get silly, and it doesn't tie up its loose ends well, but it's so well paced, and so undeniably exciting at times, that it sizes up as a good time for action aficionados. Among the highlights are a chase / fight Elliott has with a street thug that finishes nicely with a runaway roller coaster moment. It's also good for a look at 42nd Street when it was still in its decadent period.Look for a theatre marquee displaying "Fatal Beauty", which also featured Elliott; a previous Glickenhaus picture, "The Soldier", can be seen playing on a movie screen.Seven out of 10.

Robert J. Maxwell It starts off with an interesting if already familiar problem: How do we dig out corruption in the NYPD when there is so much crack money floating around? In "Serpico" a Brooklyn narc hijacks the hero off the street and threatens him, saying, "This is serious money." That's the milieu we find ourselves in here.Peter Weller is a nobody Legal Aid lawyer trying to get his drug-dealing client off because the suspect actually killed in self defense. An undercover cop tried to rip off his drugs and cash in Central Park, shooting him in the process. The opposing prosecutor is Weller's ex-lover, Patricia Charbonneau. Weller enlists the aid of an undercover friend of his, Sam Elliot, in trying to uncover the truth.The questions addressed are important, and the script sounds literate for the first half hour. Someone went to the trouble of ferreting out apt quotes about justice from the New Testament. But after that it goes downhill fast. It's as if somebody had handed in a decent and thoughtful script about the characters, then another party had taken the script and doctored it, putting in a quote from Dirty Harry (twice), a shootout in what looks like Times Square, a funny car chase through the streets of New York (twice), wisecracks in times of mortal danger ("You drive, I'll shoot."), and finally a rip off of a physically impossible feat from Schwarzenegger's "Commando." Too bad. Charbonneau and Weller are well matched, each with prominent bony facial features. Charbonneau sounds like Sondra Locke if you close your eyes. Sam Elliot is reliable too, and he demonstrates his range here. At one end, he can lower his face then cock it over his shoulder at someone and offer sage advice with a smirk and a baritone. At the other end, he can chuckle. Peter Weller I've always liked, though he shows his limitations as an actor here. Whatever prompted him to pursue a Master's degree in, what?, Ancient Civilizations? And then look for positions as Adjunct Professor at places like Franklin and Marshall and Syracuse University? (I've got it. He needed the money a part-time teacher makes!) Whatever his motives, I admire him for his intellectual curiosity. Weller's character is no invincible superhero either. When somebody holds a gun to his head he's scared to death and tells them what they want to know.Notwithstanding all that, this isn't a movie designed to appeal to grown ups. There's no point in listing the plot loopholes or loose ends. The evil people are plain evil. The good people are plain good. There's none of the ambiguity of real life. One can only wonder what a yeoman director like Don Seagal or Sidney Lumet might have done with material like this.

ChoiBaby Director James Glickenhaus (The Soldiers, The Exterminator, McBain) has composed a reasonably well constructed thriller with the usual spectacular action sequences and an interesting plot. This time though, the strong performances from the lead stars help propel Shakedown above the usual mundane low budget films. Peter Weller (Robocop, Screamers) is excellent as Roland Dalton, a frustrated attorney who must help defend a troubled youth who has been accused of murdering a police officer. However, there is more to the scene of the crime than meets the eye...Sam Elliot (Road House) is grand as Richie Marks, a rogue police officer who is always at the wrong place at the right time. Marks and Dalton happen to form a "buddy-buddy" type bonding, and their investigation eventually leads knee deep into a conspiracy of corruption, deceit, and murder...Shakedown is a decent action flick with an intriguing plot with enthralling plot twists and top notch action sequences. The fist fight aboard a moving roller coaster is a highlight and the extended vehicle chase through the streets of Manhattan is another highlight.What makes Shakedown an exceptional thriller though, is the three dimensional performances. Peter Weller is definitely the performer worth watching in Shakedown. His convincing portrayal as a tough lawyer adds an extra depth of integrity to an otherwise standard "kill or be killed" actioner. Sam Elliot has his moments too as a cynical renegade cop who helps Weller expose corruption in the police department.Shakedown is worth watching just for the high caliber performances from both Weller and Elliot. The action scenes are worthwhile as well. The only setback though is these action sequences are used a little too sparesly. The lack of a breathtaking pace destroys an almost superior thriller. Otherwise, Shakedown is an adequate film. This movie would benefit greatly with a faster pace, but the acting from stars Weller and Elliot make Shakedown a film worth a look.RATING: **1/2 out of ****.